My life-line
by dorina16able
Summary: Newt hated this place; every second of every day in the Glade. After Thomas's arrival, though, one change follows the other; but two girls at the same time? 'Maybe it's time for things to change, Newt' Eve said determined. She becomes his friend…his guardian angel…his everything.
1. Female Greenies?

**A/N: Heyy there :) I watched the Maze Runner a few days ago and I LOVED it. I loved the movie and I loved Newt, he's my favorite one, sooo...here's a story about him (and I have been spoilered already about what will happen to him in the third book, grrrr). The story is basically movie-verse, with some dialogues from the book; for instance, when Newt warns the Gladers to leave the girls alone...in the book, it was Alby who said that, but, since he's going through the Changing in the movie, I made Newts saying it instead (the all-protective leader, hehe). Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Maze Runner, only my OC**

All she could feel was terror and she had the impression she would throw up at any second. It was as if someone had drugged her and she couldn't remember anything; not how she ended up in this secluded, box-like thing, not where she came from, not even her own parents. Her whole body trembled in shock and, right now, she would rather faint than go through this hell.

Something black right next to her arm caught her attention and she turned her head with much effort. With a gasp, she saw that it was another girl with long, black hair; again, not someone she recognized. The other girl was unconscious, the lucky one; she didn't have this odd sensation that something was definitely wrong, combined with the box moving upstairs.

Upstairs towards _what_?

The lift sped up and this was the drop that overflowed the glass. Her breath became uneven and she closed her eyes tightly, the darkness surrounding her. Even though, she could not hold back the tears that ran down her cheeks like waterfalls.

Wait a minute…she still had in her mind what a waterfall was, but she couldn't remember her own _life_? But no, as much as she searched through her mind, she could clearly picture animals, cities, objects, but when it came to her memories about her past, everything was blank. As if something or someone had wiped them away.

But who and why?

The dread of this thought worsened her situation and she curled up in a fetal position to protect herself. The confusion won over and, following the other girl's example, every connection with the world was lost.

* * *

><p>The Gladers were gathered to discuss Thomas's case, who had returned with Minho and a stung Alby after a whole night in the maze. Newt frowned as Gally spoke against the newbie, saying that going into the maze despite the rules and killing a Griever for the first time in three years would have very serious consequences for them. Newt considered Thomas his friend and shared his wish to explore the maze and discover a way out, but he knew very well that he had to act wisely. Being second-in-command, he was in charge now that Alby was suffering the Changing, so he had to take everything into account before coming up with a decision. It was as if he had grown up suddenly.<p>

'Minho' he addressed the Keeper of the Runners and everyone fell silent. 'You were there with him. What do you think?'

The boy didn't answer at once, thinking for a few moments. Everyone was watching him, some with curiosity, and Thomas felt something that reminded him of fear gripping him. Everything depended now on Minho and how he had interpreted his actions; running in the maze while being a non-runner, killing one of the creatures that had killed many of them and coming out of the maze alive.

'I think, in all the time we've been here, no one's ever killed a Griever before' Minho finally said. 'When I turned tail and ran, this dumb shank stayed behind to help Alby. Look, I don't know if he's brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it' he concluded. 'I say we make him a Runner'

An explosion followed his words, the Gladers speaking all at once, others agreeing, others not, and Newt smiling widely at the Keeper's suggestion.

'A Runner? What?' Gally exclaimed in frustration, not expecting that and not believing that the "Greenie" would become a Runner that easily.

'Minho, let's not jump the gun here' Frypan tried to calm the spirits, but his voice was barely heard in the chaos.

'Thomas! Thomas! Thomas!' Chuck, on the other hand, cheered loudly, but when he saw that no one followed suit, he stopped.

'If you want to throw the newbie a parade, that's fine!' Gally spoke angrily and stepped in the middle of the gathering to be heard better. 'Go ahead. But if there is one thing that I know about the maze, it is that you do not—'

An all-too-familiar sound from outside made everyone freeze and even Gally lost his previous energy. It was as if something heavy was coming up to the Glade and, at the same time, a faint alarm ringed. All of them forgot yesterday's events at once as they rushed out of the hut and crossed the field.

'Okay, wait, I know that sound' Thomas stated as he stood next to Chuck and Minho.

'The Box' the young boy with the curly hair reminded him, but he didn't have his usual cheerful expression, on the other hand, he seemed worried and even scared. 'It's coming back up'

'It shouldn't be' Minho hissed and the three friends approached the large area where the Box arrived.

Indeed, the wheel was moving around and the metal doors opened, revealing the closed door of the Box that came once in a month with supplies and a newcomer. That was the case for three years, a regular program and they were used to it. Until now. Newt and Gally, who reached it first, jumped and opened the door, while trying to remain calm. A lot of things had changed and they had to confront it with composure if they wanted to find a solution. Newt jumped inside, the others waiting impatiently, since they could not see what the Box held. Newt's brown eyes, though, widened in confusion as he stared at the Creators' new "gift".

'Holy…' he breathed, eyebrows narrowed.

'Newt, what do you see?'

'Do you see it?'

The Gladers' questions brought him out of his trance and, slowly, he stood upright again, glancing at no one in particular. Indeed, a lot of things had changed, but this was the last thing he expected.

'It's two girls' he explained.

A chorus of questions and exclamations echoed through the Glade as some bent down in an attempt to get a better look at the newcomers, some only looked in shock and some were simply wondering what the shuck was going on here.

'No way!'

'Two Greenies?'

'Two _girls_?'

'_Two _girls?'

'How do they look like?'

'How old are they?'

Newt ignored them and stared back at the two female teenagers. The one seemed to be about seventeen, with thick, black hair that fell on her back and the other was around his age, with dark brown, shoulder-length hair. None had their consciousness as they lay down on the floor of the Box, completely shut out of the world.

'That's not bloody half of it' he whispered. 'I think they're dead'

Their bodies were curled, as if they were cold or afraid of something, and Newt tried to jump to a conclusion, but without success.

'What's in her hand?' Gally suddenly asked, pointing at the black-haired girl.

With the rest of the boys watching intently, Newt carefully took a wrapped note the girl in question clutched in her right hand. He stared at them again, as if expecting some kind of movement, but they remained as they were, undisturbed. Newt frowned as he unfolded the piece of paper. Did they know each other? Did they _remember_?

'"They are the last ones…ever"' he read aloud and stared up at the boys, whose concerned expressions mirrored his. 'What the hell does that mean?'

A loud gasp startled him and he saw that the girl with the black hair had woken up, taking deep breaths, as if she was suffocating, and her eyes had widened as she looked up at the boys, until they focused on a single person. She uttered only one word, but this word was the most frightening bit of everything that had happened.

'Thomas…'

She fell back unconscious, without saying anything else or paying attention to anyone. The Gladers looked at Thomas, silent, but clearly demanding explanations, although Thomas could not give them. He had arrived at the Glade just like the others, with all his memories wiped, how could he explain to them something he didn't understand too? It was true, in those weird dreams he had, the girl had appeared, but he couldn't make any sense of it, while the brunette one was a complete stranger to him.

'Do you still think I'm overreacting?' Gally asked determined, almost triumphantly, and he would have continued if it hadn't been for the new leader of the Gladers.

'Shut your hole, Gally!' Newt snapped at him. 'We can worry about everything later, but first we will look after them. Someone go and get some ropes!'

With the help of ropes made from ivy vines, Newt and Thomas managed to pull the two teenagers out of the elevator and on the cold stone around the Box. The next moment, Clint and Jeff, the two Med-jacks, rushed to their side, each kneeling beside a girl and feeling their pulse and vital signs, with the rest watching with something Thomas could swear was a curious fascination.

'So, what do we do with them?' Jeff asked while pulling the brunette's hair behind her ear to check for a pulse.

'How should I know?' Newt replied. 'You two are the Med-jacks—figure it out!'

'Who said Clint and Jeff had first shot at them?' a Glader asked from the distance and many laughed loudly. 'I'm the next!'

_Are you bloody joking? _Newt wondered as he anxiously awaited the meds to finish their job. _That's all they can think about? The girls are half-dead! _He had to fight against the impulse to teach a lesson to these shanks, but, instead, he chose other means and shot them a death glare.

'If anybody touches these girls, you're gonna spend the night sleepin' with the Grievers in the maze. Banished, no questions!' he made clear, mustering his strictest voice that made even Gally flinch; they knew better than question him. Newt, already respected due to his position as second-in-command, had a strength and a determination that it was not wise to underestimate; he was more than capable to fulfill his threat. 'Ain't nobody better touch them! Nobody!'

'Both seem fine' Clint interfered, returning the attention to the actual problem. 'Breathing okay, normal heartbeat. Though it's a bit slow. Your guess is as good as mine, but I'd say they are in a coma. Jeff, let's take them to the Homestead'

* * *

><p>There it was again, this numbing darkness.<p>

Blurred silhouettes, distant voices she couldn't recognize…

Everything was so confusing, she just wanted to give up.

She had no idea who she was or where she was.

She was feeling nothing, only emptiness.

Again, she thought she saw someone, like a shade…see his profile through the endless black that surrounded her, but everything else was unclear.

"She will be the last one" she thought she heard a woman saying, but, again, this could only be a dream, because the next second both the shade and the voice faded into nothing, leaving a single letter in her fogged mind.

_E._

E?

E for what?

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Minho, Newt and Thomas made their way to the Homestead. Apparently, the girls' situation had not improved yet and they wanted a full picture from the Med-jacks, wondering if it was normal to still be in coma. Approaching the girls' beds, they threw a sad glare towards Alby, who was spinning around and gritting his teeth, going through the painful Changing after being stung by a Griever.<p>

'Jeff, what's going on?' the blond boy wanted to know. 'What's the matter with them? Why won't they wake up?'

'Hey, man, I got my job the same way you did' the dark-skinned Med told him, assuring them that they had done everything they could and now they just had to wait.

The black-haired girl was still curled up, her hand balled into a tight fist; the other one, though, was lying on her back, arms by her sides; looking peaceful and vulnerable. Newt's brown eyes stayed on her; she was so calm, unlike the other one, as if she had come to terms with whatever she had faced…or as if she was fighting her inner battles and tried to hide them from the world outside her mind.

Thomas, on the other hand, was focused on the girl who had recognized him; she was a big mystery to him, like everything concerning his past. Why she appeared in his dreams, telling him that everything was gonna change, was beyond him.

'Do you recognize her?' Newt's voice brought him back to reality and he realized that this had given most Gladers another reason to consider him responsible for everything.

'No' he shook his head.

'Really?' Newt insisted. 'Because she seemed to recognize _you_? What about the other? Does _she _remind you of anything?'

'No, Newt, I don't remember them. And…What about the note?' Thomas added, reminding them all that the Creators had brought three surprises at once; more newcomers at the same month, and newcomers who happened to be girls, with a note that was anything but comforting. But, right now, Newt couldn't deal with this either, it was too much for him.

'We'll worry about the note later' he decided.

'I think you should worry about it now'

'We've got enough to deal with at the moment' Newt said aloud what he had been thinking earlier; did no one get that they couldn't face a hundred problems at once?

'He's right, Newt' Jeff agreed with Thomas. 'If the Box isn't coming back up, how long do you think we can last?'

'No one said that' Newt answered, trying to convince both Jeff and himself that the meaning behind the note was something else and not that the Creators would stop sending them supplies. 'Let's not jump to any conclusions. We'll just wait until they wake up and see what they know. Somebody has gotta have some answers around here'

Those answers…Three years he hoped for them; for a way out of this place and for answers about who and why put them there with no memories but their names. Three years watching the Runners go into the maze every morning and returning at sunset, expecting _something_, and every day passing by without a single step forward to find a way to escape. Three years of uneasiness and anxiety, although he was trying to conceal it, but it was there, eating him; the wish to leave that became stronger and stronger.

Maybe these girls had the answers.

But, whether they did or not, they were now part of the Glade and he would make sure that they would be treated as such.

'Okay' Thomas whispered and turned abruptly to leave.

'Where are you going?'

'Back into the maze'

_You were wondering whether he's brave or stupid, Minho? Guess what: your question has just been answered!_

The Keeper of the Runners rolled his eyes and ran after him, while Newt turned towards the girls again, the usual frown on his face.

'Hey, Newt, you don't have to stay here, mate; we're tending to them' Clint said.

'That's fine; I don't think that they will be very calm when they wake up…They need to be prepared'

* * *

><p>The internal pain was killing her.<p>

No physical pain, her body was still numb. The emotional pain, though, was torturing her. It was as if she was drowning in this threatening black, as the confusion and shock didn't have the intention to leave her. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't, as if someone was forcing her to keep them close. She took deep and quick breaths again, moved around, wanting to be freed from this torment.

And then it happened.

The miracle.

She could sense something gentle that brought a small light in the darkness and made her feel less trapped, more relaxed. A gentle touch by someone—she didn't know and she didn't care.

'It's okay' she heard a voice again, calm and friendly, like a song. 'Everything's okay…you're safe. Breathe'

And breathing she did, obeying the voice this time. Weird, despite not seeing or remembering the owner, it still managed to ease the pain and the confusion and leave only warmth behind it.

'No one's gonna hurt you…'

There was something else now, besides the light…the letter…no, wait, not letter, it _letters!_

_E…_

_V…_

_E…_

_E. V. E?_

_Eve?_

The realization hit her and finally, finally, she felt warmth and a huge relief as the memory—the first one—appeared and started clearing things.

Those letters…constructed her name.

'Shh… You are fine' the voice spoke again.

And another miracle happened, because the voice helped her find the strength to open her eyes, although with great effort. Through heavy eyelids, she saw a pair of warm, dark brown eyes that stared softly at her, short, blond hair and a comforting smile. No bad after this terrible battle, right? A calming wave overwhelmed her and she closed her eyes again, but not completely, to hold the comforting sight in front of her.

'Eve…' she whispered and stirred to be more comfortable. 'I…am…Eve'

For a moment, she could bet she heard a chuckle, but maybe it was due to the games her mind had been playing with her until now.

'Okay. Now go back to sleep. Everything will be sorted out once you get some rest…It's gonna be okay'

Being only too happy to do as she was told, she shut herself from the world for one more time. This time, though, her sleep was much calmer and the darkness embraced her like an old friend.

* * *

><p>Seeing the brunette girl succumbing to sleep, Newt left out a relieved breath, his hand still on her shoulder. He almost freaked out himself when he saw her spinning around, trying to catch her breath, but then he regained his nerves and did his best to calm her down; with success, as he realized.<p>

When she opened her eyes and looked at him, he caught a glimpse of a beautiful, green-brown color that was captivating, as her gaze was filled with gratitude. She was like a child, so innocent, and, although nothing was truly okay, Newt decided to leave her in peace until she would have her strength. After all, the other Gladers wouldn't exactly make her life easy here.

And she finally had a name, which still rang in his ears.

'I don't know why they sent you here, Eve, but we will find a way through this'

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Thomas"_

This voice in his head made Thomas jump in surprise. He was in the wood waiting for Minho, who would search for reinforcements, since the other Runners had quit after Alby got stung and Thomas insisted to go to the maze to search for more clues. But this voice…it was _her _voice, he knew that. The voice of the black-haired girl who had briefly recognizing before falling into coma again.

_"__Tom, we're the last ones. It'll end soon. It has to"_

_"__Tom, don't freak out on me"_

_"__My memory's fading already, Tom. I won't remember much when I wake up. We can pass the Trials. It has to end. They sent the other girl as the last experiment and me as a trigger"_

_"__Everything is going to change"_

_"__It was you and me, Tom. _We _did this to them. To us"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, guys, that was it :) Hope you liked it. Do not forget to R&R, please :) xx  
><strong>


	2. Rise and shine or not?

**A/N: Hi, everyone, here we are again :) Time for someone to wake up, hehe :) Okay, I am officially obsessed with the Maze Runner, I love it :) And I love writing about Newt being all helpful and deal with the shuck named Gally. **

**scarlettebooks- Okay, more you shall have, my friend :)**

**FireOfInspiration- Thank you so much :) I hope you will like the update too**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Maze Runner...If I did, some events concerning Newt *cough* "Death Cure" *cough*wouldn't happen**

Eve felt life returning in her body as the darkness faded away and she could connect herself with reality again; clear voices this time, the sound of steps, someone moaning loudly in pain. She was much better now, the good sleep had helped her and, although still curious and confused to find out what was happening to her, she didn't have the panic she had felt during her coma. After a few seconds, she managed to open her eyes and, ignoring her sore nerves, she sat up on her bed and took a tired look around.

She was in what seemed like a wooden hut, simple, with beds all around, most of them empty. The only ones that were occupied, except hers, was the one next to hers, where a black-haired girl was asleep, and one a few feet away from her. A tall, dark-skinned guy was laying on it, with an expression as if he was in a lot of pain.

Nothing made sense, but, as she tried to fine the end of the thread, she realized that she couldn't remember anything but her name. She could vaguely recall being stuck with the girl in that mysterious elevator that brought them here, obviously; and someone comforting her, but it stopped there. Everything else was gone and she shuddered, wrapping her grey blanket around her.

At that moment, two boys, a dark-skinned and a white-skinned, came in, the one carrying a glass of water and the other a bowl. When they saw her awake, their concerned faces were replaced by happy ones as they approached her, carefully to not disturb the other two.

'Ah, look who's woken up!' the one of them exclaimed with a wide smile. 'Welcome to the Glade, Greenie!'

Glade? Greenie? The terms were unknown to her and she assumed that they were used by the habitants of this place.

_Now I think about it…_what _is this place?_

'Where…am I?' she wanted to know, her voice still a bit hoarse, and she accepted with gratitude the glass of water the boy handed her, drinking it almost all at once.

'Easy there, slow down' the dark-skinned boy chuckled gently, seeing her. 'Take smaller sips, you were slightly dehydrated and you just woke up from a coma. You need to regain your strength'

'As for your question, this is the Glade, your new home' the other one added. 'Can you tell us anything? Your name, where you came from…?'

'My name…is Eve. That's all I remember, nothing else, and I don't understand…'

'Don't worry, happens to all of us. We all come here with our only memory being our first name and nothing else. I am Jeff, by the way, and this is Clint; we're the two med-jacks'

Eve nodded and looked briefly towards the unconscious girl, narrowing her eyebrows. Why did they arrive together here? Were they friends, in the past life she couldn't recall at all? And who on earth sent them and the others here?

'You know her?' Clint asked, following her gaze.

'No'

'You neither? Because, when you two came here, she woke up for a second, recognized one of the boys and fell into coma again. He says, though, that he doesn't recognize her back' Clint explained.

'How _could_ he, Clint? His memories were wiped too!'

'And how did _she _remember him, then?'

'Do you think it's a coincidence that she remembered the guy who should be the only newcomer for this month and who has as a goal to go into that maze and get us out of here?'

'Sorry to interrupt, but…what are you two talking about?' Eve interfered, looking from the one to the other. '_Who _did she recognize? What do you mean with "the only newcomer for this month"? And what is that maze and how can it get us out of here?'

'Whoa, whoa, calm down' Jeff lowered his voice, realizing that it was the moment every Greenie went through the first day; the moment of answering questions and keep things as simple as possible. 'Right now, you have many questions, we understand. First of all, do you remember how you arrived?'

'My memories start with being in something like a box'

'Exactly!' Clint nodded. 'Every month, the Box comes up here, with fresh supplies and a new Glader'

'Only that we've already met this month's newbie' Jeff continued. 'His name is Thomas…very curious guy, is determined to solve the mystery of why we are here, and he keeps breaking the rules; he's just asking for trouble if you ask me'

'And then the Box came again, this time with you, ladies' Clint concluded. 'Twice in the same month and with girls for the first time, you realize that it was quite the surprise for us'

'For the first time? You sure?'

'Absolutely. Some of the Gladers have been here from the beginning of all this mess; it's the first time girls come here'

Eve stayed silent after this. What was going on here? If the two med-jacks were honest, and they had no reason to lie to her…then what the hell were she and the other one doing here? Not to mention that, with the two of them, this made three newcomers in the same month. She had thought that her questions would be answered, but, instead, they had only created more questions.

'You'll soon see the Greenie we're talking about. Maybe it will ring a bell' Jeff tried to give her courage.

'And, so you start learning, "Greenie" is a word we use for "newcomer"…like a fresh, green bean between brown, old ones' Clint laughed.

'I see. You guys mentioned something about the maze…care to explain?'

'Ah, this is someone else's responsibility' Clint answered. 'You can ask Newt, when he'll give you the tour. Second-in-command of the Glade and, right now, he's in charge, since our leader isn't in the position'

His words gave Eve more hope. Surely the second-in-command of this place could give her some more information, since, as Clint and Jeff couldn't or didn't want to say anything more about this specific issue.

'But enough with the questions for now!' Clint decided and gave her the bowl with the soup. 'Time to eat'

'Thanks, Clint, but I'm not hungry; I feel as if I'm gonna puke'

'We don't care! You'll eat whether you want it or not, you're still weak'

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Thomas, Minho and the three Gladers who had been with them in the maze, were informing Newt and Gally of their discovery: a rusty object with the number "7" glowing in red and a yellow label with the letters WCKD and the number sequence 9643921. Newt, despite being frustrated at Thomas for his recklessness to go in there again, had to admit that it was an important clue and maybe the key to their exit. Unlike Gally, who was ready to explode, he waited patiently to hear the explanations.<p>

'It was inside a Griever' Thomas told them.

'These are the same letters we get in our supplies' Newt commented surprised.

'Yeah' Thomas said. 'Whoever put us here obviously made the Grievers'

The cogs in Newt's mind started working on full speed. What could this mean? This connection between the Grievers and the Creators…what was behind this and why? Either they wanted one after the other dead, which was irrational since _they_ had brought them in the Glade, or there was something else, something bigger.

'This is the first real clue, the first anything, you've found in over three years. Right, Minho?'

'Right' the Keeper of the Runners confirmed and Thomas turned to his blond friend again.

'Newt, we gotta go back out there' he suggested with a serious voice and Newt drew his eyes away from the mysterious object to look at him. 'Who knows where this might lead us'

To the outside world…To the answer to this situation that tortured all of them…To the feeling that something good could come out of this, out of his imprisonment, of his nightmares…of that horrible day, years ago, the darkest day of his life. Newt quickly looked at Gally, awaiting his angry reply, only to shut his mind out of that memory. Besides Alby, Clint and Jeff, no one knew about his failed attempt to end his own life when he had thought that this was the only way to escape.

'You see what he's trying to do, right?' Gally snapped. 'First he breaks our rules and then he tries to convince us to abandon them totally. The rules are the only thing that have ever held us together; why now are we questioning that?'

_Because I myself need to know. I refuse to continue like this, treated like a subject by some random shucks out there; especially now, when we finally have something in our hands._

'If Alby was here, you know he'd agree with me. This shank needs to be punished'

If Gally thought that, by mentioning Alby, he would persuade Newt, he was about to be disappointed. Newt knew that the time had come for him to decide how to go on. Stay in the Glade, stick to the rules and continue things as they were or take the risk, trust Thomas and investigate the matter further.

He had already taken his decision, but he was not stupid to believe that Gally would simply accept it. The Keeper of the Builders was unpredictable and no one could guarantee him that he wouldn't do reckless actions only to prevent things from changing. With a frown, he gave the devise back to Minho.

'You're right. Thomas broke the rules. One night in the pit and no food'

'Oh, come on, Newt!' Gally rolled his eyes. 'One night in the pit? You think that's gonna stop him from going into the maze?'

'No. And we can't just have non-runners running into the maze whenever they feel like it!' Newt raised his voice and Thomas nodded solemnly, as if he expected him to say that he would be banished. 'So let's just make this official. Starting from tomorrow, you're a Runner!'

Thomas was definitely caught off guard, for he simply stared at him; Minho and Winston just smiled and Gally was taken aback, seeing that no one of those who were gathered was by his side.

'Wow' he hissed and stormed outside, ignoring Frypan's tries to calm him down, and, in the end, the cook of the Glade followed him.

'Thanks, Newt' Thomas told him.

Newt stared at him for a few seconds and then turned his back to him. He still had to discuss some things with Thomas and Minho, but first he needed a few seconds to put his thoughts in order, wondering whether his decision had just triggered some major avalanche.

* * *

><p>After eating the delicious soup, Eve could sense some of her lost energy coming back. Her pale face had some color now and she smiled as Clint and Jeff told her funny stories about their time in the Glade. The sound of laughter echoed all around and, although she still had some questions that had to be answered, she had decided that it could wait for now, until she would speak with the second-in-command. She only hoped that he would not treat her as some weird object; that he would listen to her story and would fill her on the many things she still could not understand.<p>

Suddenly, running steps were heard outside the Homestead, as the hut was called, together with two voices, an angry one and a calmer one. The two Med-jacks jumped on their feet, both with looks as if something wrong was about to happen.

'What the shuck is wrong with Gally?' Jeff wondered. 'Is he stung or something?'

'Yeah, why is he throwing a fit?'

The next moment, a tall boy rushed inside, with another guy right behind him, fuming and looking as if he wanted to beat someone. When he saw that Eve was awake, a dangerous spark appeared in his eyes and he went towards her like an angry bull; Eve only stared at him in shock, trying to make a sense.

'You!' Gally yelled and pushed Clint and Jeff aside. 'You, the other girl and that shank did this, right? You came here to ruin our lives; we were living in perfect harmony until you appeared!'

'Gally, stop!' Jeff told him sharply, but he didn't listen.

'Who are you?' he screamed and shook Eve's shoulders violently. 'Who are you and what do you want from us?'

'I don't know what you're talking about!' Eve yelled back. 'I don't want to ruin anything, I don't know who this girl is, I can't remember anything except my name!'

'Liar!'

'Gally, that's enough!' Frypan interfered firmly. 'Just because Newt made Thomas a Runner doesn't mean that she—'

'Shut it, Fry!' Gally snapped. 'First Thomas breaks all the rules and doesn't get the punishment he deserves and now we have two girls for the first time and with the warning that they will be the last ones!'

'_What_ last ones?' Eve screamed, tears running down her face. 'Just explain, I just woke up in this place with no memories, I don't understand anything!'

'Oh, come on, I'm not buying this!'

Between this turmoil, Gally yelling, Eve trying to explain and Clint and Jeff wanting to calm the spirits down, no one noticed Frypan, who stormed out of the Homestead again. Only one person could deal with Gally right now and he ran to inform him, knowing that Newt would reason with the irritable Builder better. Newt was still talking with Thomas and Minho and the three of them jumped startled when they saw the dark-skinned cook coming inside.

'What's the matter, Frypan?' Minho asked him worried.

'It's Gally' he panted. 'He thinks the girls and Thomas are responsible for all this…Went in the Homestead…And when he saw that one of the girls, the brunette one, is awake, he started to accuse her, screaming at her…'

'WHAT?' Newt gasped and he felt anger boiling inside him; that shuckface had just crossed the line. It was his duty to ensure the girls' comfort and, ever since he had briefly seen Eve and how confused she was, he had felt the urge to protect her.

'Yeah, he's gone completely crazy, he doesn't listen to us…She tried to explain that she doesn't know anything, but he doesn't want to hear anything'

'Okay, that's enough' Newt said determined and made his way to the door.

'Need any help?' Minho called after him.

'No, thanks, Minho; show Thomas the Map Room, since he's gonna be a Runner. I will handle the little piece of klunk on my own!'

* * *

><p>When Newt burst into the Homestead, it took all of his composure to not go completely ballistic. Gally was standing in front of Eve, who was on the verge of a crisis as she cried and tried to make the boy listen to her. The two Med-jacks through Newt an apologizing look as they stood there, unable to help.<p>

'What the shuck is going on here?' Newt's voice covered the other two and the silence that followed was almost threatening. 'Gally, what exactly do you think you are doing?'

'I am caring for the Glade and ensuring that everything will be as it has always been is what I think I am doing! I am trying to keep the threats away from us!'

'Oh, I see' Newt nodded sarcastically. 'And it's really necessary to terrify an innocent girl in the process? They wiped her memories away, just like they did with all of us!'

'_Innocent_?' Gally repeated frustrated and pointed at her, making her gasp, awaiting another attack. 'You're calling _her _innocent? If she was innocent, the Creators would sent girls as well, not only boys and only _now _two girls at once!'

'Key word here is "Creators", Gally, she is their victim as well and by scaring the living daylights out of her you won't achieve anything!'

'Just because Thomas is your friend and you're fascinated by her because she's a girl doesn't mean that—'

'Shut it!' Newt raised his hand, marking his words. The sight of the distraught brunette was making him angry and sad at the same time, but first he had to control the Glader. 'We're gonna figure everything out but this isn't your job! And, unless you want to keep Thomas company in the pit tonight, you'll bloody leave her alone, am I clear?'

'You'll soon realize your mistake, Newt' Gally spat as he left, pushing him roughly. 'I only hope that it won't be too late when you see that I was right to treat her like she deserves'

'When I ever want to terrorize someone, I will seek your advice, but until then I'll pass, thank you' was Newt's answer. When Gally left, Jeff and Clint approached him, speaking in hushed tones that were covered by Eve's sobs.

'Newt, we tried to stop him, honestly, but you saw him…'

'I know, Clint, don't worry; he's a slinthead, we all know that' Newt consoled him and threw a short glance towards the girl before turning to the Meds again. 'How is she?'

'Much better; her pulse is normal and she has eaten and drunk' Jeff informed him. 'She doesn't remember anything, only her name, and she's honest, Newt…'

'I'm sure…'

'We told her a few things about the Glade, but we left the serious stuff to you' Clint concluded. 'We thought you're the best for this and, besides, you managed to calm her down when she was in a coma'

'I'll take care of her' Newt promised them. 'Could you guys give us a minute? She probably doesn't want many people around her after this'

'Of course' Clint and Jeff agreed and left willingly.

'Frypan' Newt turned towards the cook 'go and tell the others that one of the girls is awake and that her name is Eve. And warn them' at this point his voice grew darker 'to leave her alone and to not disturb her in any way, okay?'

'Will do, Newt' Frypan patted him on the shoulder and left as well.

When Eve heard steps on the floor and she saw Newt coming slowly towards her, she left a squeak and brought her knees to her chest, looking frantically around for a way to escape. Newt took a few deep breaths to stay calm, knowing that he had to be very careful with her.

'Hey, hey, don't be afraid of me' he whispered and sat down on the edge of her bed, his eyes meeting hers. 'I'm not going to hurt you, I promise'

'He…He…He came in here…Started yelling at me accusing me of something…Called me a liar…Said that I should be thrown in a maze or something…'

'Bloody shank' the blond teenager hissed under his teeth, but she didn't hear it. 'I apologize for him, he's a big git…He sticks to the rules and isn't very happy with the fact that we have two girls amongst us'

'I told him already, I have no idea why they sent us here' Eve stuttered between her sobs. 'I don't know anything, please, believe me'

'Calm down, I do believe you' he told her honestly and, after a small hesitation, caressed her arm lightly. She flinched, but didn't push him away, with gave him courage. 'Relax, take deep breaths, come on, you can do this'

And she did as he said, as if he had a comforting influence on her. She stared at him and couldn't suppress her gasp when she realized that she had briefly seen him before. Dark brown eyes, blond hair and this smile; he was the one who had helped her relax when she was still unconscious.

'Thank you' she said and a small smile appeared on her face, transforming her whole expression. 'You saved me…I thought he was gonna attack me…'

'I would never allow him to do that. It's obvious that the Creators put you here, like the rest of us…as for why they decided for a sudden gender change, that's beyond us' Newt explained and changed the subject. 'By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Newt, second-in-command'

So her mysterious savior was the one the Med-jacks had told her about? Eve laughed mentally, remembering her worries that maybe he would be cautious towards her. He didn't know her at all, but he was willing to defend her and help her get used in the new situation.

'So, if you think you can walk, I can show you around' Newt suggested her. 'After all, you must be curious to see what lies outside of here, right?'

'And what about her?' Eve pointed towards the black-haired girl who still hadn't woken up. 'I could keep an eye on her if you want'

'Don't worry about that, our Med-jacks will look after her just fine and you need some fresh air' Newt replied. 'And when she will wake up, then we can talk'

'Okay' she said and, after another deep breath, still trying to get over the verbal attack, stood up and steadied herself with Newt's help.

_Time to see this "Glade" then and solve this mystery._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, guys, another chapter has come to an end. I hope you enjoyed it and more chapters shall follow :)  
><strong>


	3. Time for girl talk

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I wish you all a very happy New Year, health, happiness and lots of inspiration! :) My New Year's Eve gift for you, people, is another chapter; Newt shows Eve around (seriously, I am becoming more and more obsessed with the guy) and Teresa wakes up! Hope you will like it and a massive thank you to those who follow and favorite :)**

**ChpNinjaChick- Thank you for your review, my friend :) Yeah, Gally will always be Gally, unfortunately, the winner of the competition "Slinthead of the Year"**

**Its Jawsie- Thanks a lot :D Hope you will like the update**

**Krisicake- Thank you for both reviews :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Maze Runner" *bursts into sobs only my OC**

If there wasn't the tiny problem of her memory loss and the question why on earth she was sent here, Eve would admit that the Glade was a beautiful place. It was a green meadow with small huts and a forest nearby, boys were working or chatting and the scent of fresh earth and grass lingered around. Newt, patient and friendly, showed her everything and introduced her to some of the boys, who, although staring curiously at her, didn't tell her anything that would upset her, like that other boy had done, and this helped her relax a little. It would give the impression of safety and harmony, if it wasn't for the stone walls that surrounded the Glade.

'Out there is the maze' Newt explained when he saw her staring at the door. 'It is a dangerous place, but we are sure that it will lead us out of here. We have Runners who scout and map it every day, trying to reach a solution'

'And have they found anything?' Eve asked concerned.

'Well, the thing is this. For three years there were no news; and suddenly Thomas, the guy the other girl recognized, appears, wants to know everything, survives the maze and the monsters that lurk inside and finds something that could be a key'

'Then why did Gally rush in the hut and started accusing me of something I have no idea about?'

'You already know that you and the other one are the first girls who have ever come here' Newt told her with a gentle smile. 'And right after Thomas came here, everything started to change; we have found a possible way to escape and the Creators send girls here'

'The Creators?' Eve repeated and threw a look around. 'That's how they're called, those who are behind this? But why did they do this, Newt? Who would ever be so cruel to do this to us?'

'If we ever meet the slintheads, I'll ask them that question myself' the blond boy chuckled. 'Main point is, many consider Thomas responsible for all these changes. Some of the Gladers, Gally included, prefer to stick to the rules and let things go on as they are. When I made Thomas a Runner to investigate the matter further, Gally just _needed _to burst his nerves out. He thinks you're a threat'

Eve didn't speak after this, but continued looking around. She and the black-haired girl were the first females here; why had the mysterious Creators decided to change the rules? Unless Newt was right and Thomas's persistence had triggered something. She felt guilty, but she knew that nothing was her fault; with her memories wiped and now stuck in this prison-like place, with a maze and monsters around them, she was now a part of this.

_If I feel like this…how do the others feel, who have been here for three bloody years?_

After her "pleasant" encounter with Gally and Newt's explanations, she had realized that now she had a difficult path in front of her. She had to convince the others that she wasn't a threat, but a victim of the situation. For that, though, she would need help. Her female companion hadn't woken up yet and, although Newt's presence gave her a sense of safety and he had answered some of her questions, she needed to speak to the person whose name was mentioned many times already.

'I need to speak to Thomas' she whispered. 'If his arrival was the beginning of everything and if he was recognized by the other girl…then maybe he can help'

'Right now he's with Minho, the Keeper of the Runners, who shows him some information about his part. You'll meet him soon enough, though, but he doesn't remember either of you'

Eve nodded. She still felt uneasy, as if she didn't belong here, but she would wait. Her eyes fell on a large, empty area that had two heavy doors and some boys were watching it nervously. Newt caught her gaze and sighed; after all, he had been in the same position and still remembered how awful it was in there.

'That's the Box, your one-way-ticket here' he said and she looked at him startled. 'It comes every month with supplies and a newcomer…only that, this month, it made an exception'

She could still feel it…the sense that she was suffocating, combined with the horrible lift upstairs, into the unknown. Then, she remembered that Gally had said something about the two girls being "the last ones", but before she could ask Newt, a short boy with curly hair ran towards them. His face was childish and brightened by a wide smile, which she couldn't help but return; even Newt forgot the seriousness of the situation and smiled.

'Hey, Newt! Giving the Greenie here the tour, eh?'

'The "Greenie" has a name, you know. Chuck, meet Eve, one of the two girls the Creators honored us with' Newt laughed and Eve blushed a deep red. 'Eve, this is Chuck, the youngest of the Gladers!'

'Youngest, smartest and funniest' Chuck boasted and his smile became smug.

'And most modest, as I can see' Eve teased him and ruffled his hair. 'Well, Chuck, don't you see me as the weird addition who will bring disaster over you?'

'Ah, if those Creators decided to send girls too, they have my permission' Chuck said and laughed. 'No, I see you as our new interesting exception here!'

'And it's because of that exception that this whole shuck place is falling to pieces!' a furious voice was heard and Eve saw, with a wave of fear and anger, Gally approaching them. She felt Newt's hand caressing her back in a soothing way and she was grateful to him; but, after learning some things, she felt more ready to confront him.

'What do you mean?' the second-in-command asked, trying to sound calm, although he would prefer to punch that slinthead. 'What else happened?'

'The Box hasn't gone down yet, although we took all the supplies from it' Gally replied, nodding towards the doors. 'Comes every month, same time, same day, leaves supplies and goes downwards for three years. But not today'

Eve's green-brown eyes narrowed at the boy's words. Maybe that was what he meant earlier, when he talked about the warning that they would be the last ones.

_The last ones to ever come here? They won't even send _supplies_? But everyone will suffer because of this sooner or later! This can't be a coincidence! _she thought as she combined everything she had heard until now. It was like a chain between the events occurring here and the Creators' reaction. A guy named Thomas had arrived and wanted to find a solution to this no matter what, he had survived the maze and found a key; two girls came here for the first time and the Bix wouldn't provide the Gladers with anything else.

'Oh, we're shucked for good now' Chuck whispered worried and it was as if he was saying out loud what she was thinking.

'No supplies from the bloody Box—yeah, I'd say we're shucked' Newt agreed, but his eyes were focused on the short boy and he wasn't accusing the girl next to him.

Unlike someone else.

'You know who is to blame, right?' Gally hissed. 'I had warned you, Newt, but you wouldn't listen to me'

'Well, give me my memories back so I can give you an explanation why all this is happening' Eve snapped at him; she was tired of him speaking of her like that. 'I have absolutely no idea why you'll have no supplies anymore or what the hell I am doing here! And if you could stop being so close-minded, then you would see that right now you have much bigger problems than two girls who don't know anything!'

Gally stared at her as if she had spoken in an unknown language; Chuck burst out laughing and Newt smiled proudly at her. Finally, she had started to gain some strength and defend herself, despite not knowing anything more. He had decided to stand by her side and help her; Eve was now a Glader and as much help as possible would be good for her to get used in the new environment. Before he could say anything, though, a huge turmoil was heard from the Homestead and, even from this distance, they could hear Jeff and Clint yelling.

'What the hell happened again?' Chuck wondered. 'Did Alby wake up or something?'

His question was answered the next second, because they saw the black-haired girl storming out of the hut as if something was changing her, looking terrified around. Some of the boys tried to approach her and calm her down, but she pushed them away and continued running, climbing up the wooden tower the Gladers had built. Soon, everyone was gathered in front of it, yelling at her to relax, because no one would hurt her.

'Come on, guys, let's go' Newt told them and they made their way to the others. 'Jeff, Clint, can you go and inform Thomas and Minho?'

'Sure, Newt' they nodded and left at once.

'Hey, listen here!' Newt shouted to the girl, who was looking down at them. 'It's fine, we want to help!'

'NO!' she screamed and started throwing stones at them. 'Go away, I don't want to talk to anyone!'

'We can explain everything!'

'SHUT UP!'

'Don't you remember me? We arrived here together!' Eve made a try. 'Care for some girl talk maybe…OUCH!' she groaned as a stone hit her right on the head. 'Well, you have a good aim, I give you that!'

'Winston!' Gally called for the Keeper of the Slicers. 'Take some guys with you and find objects so we can protect our physical integrity from this one!'

'Why don't you leave?' the black-haired female shouted at them and continued throwing stones and small rocks.

'Maybe because we want to help!' Zart yelled furiously.

Eve couldn't exactly blame her; after all, this was horrible, waking up in a place out of the blue, without knowing anyone, with no memories except your name…

_Wait a minute!_

'Can you at least tell us your name?' she wanted to know, but the only thing she got as a result was another stone on her head. At this moment, Winston and the boys who had gone with him returned with wooden covers from crates and metal lids.

'Nice try, Greenie' Gally scoffed.

'Well then _you _tell me how to get her here!' Eve turned at him.

'Leave me alone!' the girl yelled.

'Watch your head!'

'Hey, throw one more of those things…' Gally started threateningly, but the stone that hit him cut him off.

'Go away!'

'We come in peace!' someone said, but without success.

'What happened?' another voice was added and Eve saw that two black-haired boys had joined them.

'Here, Eve, get under here' Newt pushed her under a wooded cover Winston was holding before hiding himself.

'Just duck!' Gally warned the boy who had spoken.

'I don't think she likes us very much' Newt commented and Winston lifted his hands a bit, so that the blond could see his friends.

'What do you want from me?' the girl on the tower continued.

'We certainly don't want to kill you!' Eve answered.

'We just wanna talk!' the boy who had just come added.

'I'm warning you!'

'Take cover, y'all! Take cover!' Gally advised and he didn't need to say that twice, because the more time was passing the more stones rained down from the tower.

'So she would wake up and we would talk, huh, Newt?' Eve asked, shaking her head desperately; okay, the girl was upset, but they could tell her some things if she only let them to, instead of attacking them.

'Hey, it's Thomas! It's Thomas' the unknown guy spoke again and, suddenly, the stones stopped and the girl's head appeared on the top of the building.

_That was the magic word_, Eve thought and stared at him. _So, this is Thomas everyone is talking about; the one who caused all these changes and wants to get us out of here; the one this girl recognized._

'I'm gonna come up, okay?' he continued and her head disappeared again, like a silent approval.

'Before you go to her, Thomas' Newt stopped him as the others sat down or returned to their work 'this is Eve, the second girl'

'Nice to meet you, Thomas' Eve smiled and shook his hand. 'I've already heard many things about you'

'Nice to meet you too, Eve' he answered and stared at her, as if he was trying to find out if she rang a bell. 'Forgive me, but I can not remember you…neither you nor the other one; even if some thought I would, since she recognized me'

'That's okay; after all, the Creators erased your memories just like they did with all of us' she assured him. 'Good luck with her, I really hope that it will go well…I could even talk to her, if she wants'

'Sure' he replied and, after throwing a I-am-going-to-my-own-death look at the tower, climbed up to speak with her.

'That was interesting' the other boy, who had arrived together with Thomas, mumbled before turning to Eve. 'I am Minho, Keeper of the Runners. So, you're the second girl'

'Yes, that's me' Eve smirked, but a particular word had caught her attention. 'Did you say "Runners"? You're going inside that maze every day to find an exit?'

'Oh, I see Newt has already filled you in perfectly' Minho winked towards the second-in-command, who rolled his brown eyes. 'Yes, you are right; and, after three years, thanks to Thomas, we may have found something'

'Is it just me or is Thomas indeed the key to everything?' Eve asked and her gaze travelled between the two boys.

'He surely is…in what way, that is still a mystery' Minho concluded.

'Lucky guy; he will talk with the girl first' Chuck laughed. Eve followed suit and patted the little boy on the back.

'Considering how she reacted, we'll see if he is the lucky guy' she mumbled and her eyes didn't leave the tower, anxious to find out what they were discussing. Did the girl remember that she had recognized Thomas or had her memories disappeared the moment she woke up?

'What's going on up there?' Gally asked loudly, his voice unable to hide his anger, and Eve fought the urge to reply to this rude shuck—she had started to memorize some of the terms used in this place. They saw Thomas walking to the edge of the tower and looking down at them.

'Is she coming down?' the next question came by Newt, although he wasn't angry like Gally, only curious and cautious.

'Listen, you guys, just give us a second, okay?' Thomas pleaded them and they understood that he hadn't broken the ice completely. 'Eve, would you mind talking to her later?'

'No problem, Thomas' the brunette girl answered good-heartedly.

'Alright' Newt agreed and gestured towards the others, signing them to go. 'Come on'

'Is this what all girls are like?' Frypan wanted to know before looking at Eve apologizing. 'No offense, Eve'

'No offense taken. To answer your question, though: even if a girl isn't like that, she can react that way if she's challenged' Eve explained.

'And that's why you girls will remain a mystery' Frypan chuckled.

'But a challenging mystery to solve' Minho added and winked, causing many to laugh.

'Keep dreaming' Eve giggled as they walked away, leaving Thomas and the girl in peace. 'So, what do you do during the day?'

'Oh, we are working, each one has his own part' Newt informed her. 'Minho here is a Runner, Frypan is our cook, Gally is the Keeper of the Builders and so on'

'You have really made a community here!' Eve whistled; trapped or not, she was impressed. 'Honestly, if it wasn't for these walls, I would love to stay here'

'Something tells me that these walls are the reason we are here' Newt commented with sad eyes and a frown. 'Something lies in there, I can feel it'

'Hey, listen. I may be one of the two first girls, I may be in complete darkness about what is happening, but I honestly want to help' Eve made clear. 'I want you to find a way out and assist you in every way I can to solve this puzzle!'

'I know' Newt nodded and the comforting smile appeared on his face again. 'After all, girl or not, you are one of us now'

* * *

><p>'"They are the last ones"' the black-haired girl, Teresa, read the note that was found in her hand. 'What does that mean?'<p>

'I'm not sure. Ever since you and Eve came up, that Box hasn't gone back down' Thomas told her. 'I just think it's got everyone a little worried. Especially Gally'

Both of them looked at the lake, where Glader in question was standing, arms crossed and staring at them, as if they were preparing a terrible conspiracy against him.

'He thinks it's my fault' Teresa whispered. 'Mine and the other girl's…'

'Yeah, although I could tell that Eve can not recall anything from her past life. Are you sure you don't remember anything else?' Thomas wanted to know politely, knowing that he shouldn't pressure her.

Teresa stayed silent for a few moments, forcing her mind to work. Even unconscious, she had felt the Box that had brought her here; from that point, her memories were clear. When it came to before, though, she realized she _could_ remember things, apart from her name, but only pieces.

'I remember water…feeling like I was drowning' she quietly admitted. 'These faces staring at me. And this woman's voice saying the same thing over and over'

'"Wicked is good"' Thomas quoted; these words kept haunting him in his own dreams. He saw Teresa looking at him surprised and he quickly explained. 'Ever since I've been here, I've had these dreams. Or I _thought_ they were dreams. You…You were there. You were there and you told me that everything was gonna change. And while you were in a coma' he recalled her voice in his head, telling him that _they_ had done all this, although he wouldn't reveal this to her 'you spoke in my head, telling me that Eve was the last experiment and you the trigger'

Teresa didn't know what to make of this. She didn't remember Eve and she couldn't understand what she had meant with "experiment", "change" and "trigger". Could it be that, during her coma, her mind was fighting between her old life and the Glade, where no one remembered?

'What does it mean?'

'I don't know' Thomas shook his head. 'I just always get pieces'

'And the others don't remember anything?' Teresa went on, starting to feel the dread of the entire situation. If she felt like this, having some memories, how did the others feel, with absolutely no memory at all?

'No. Why are we different?' Thomas spoke aloud the question that couldn't leave him alone since those dreams had started. The girl didn't have the answer to his question, but she had something else. She handed him two syringes.

'These were in my pocket when I came up'

'W.C.K.D' Thomas read the letters that were on the objects. '"Wicked is good"'

'What if we were sent here for a reason?' Teresa brought a point, although she couldn't even guess what that reason was.

'Alby'

* * *

><p>Eve had to try very hard not to scream when she saw the dark-skinned leader of the Glade in the Homestead. He was in a dreadful situation, some veins in his body clearly visible and he was bathed in sweat as he groaned in pain. The two Med-jacks were keeping their composure, but Newt looked horrible; almost guilty because he couldn't save him.<p>

'What the hell did this to him?' she hissed.

'Grievers. The monsters that lurk in the maze' Clint replied. 'If you get stung, you get through the so-called Changing, although no one has ever told us specifically what they see'

'Until now the Grievers were only going out at night, after the doors close' Newt continued. 'But then a Runner, Ben, got stung at broad daylight'

'How is that possible?' Eve's eyebrows narrowed; she had just learned another change that had occurred.

At this moment, Thomas and the girl came in the hut. She quickly introduced herself as Teresa and explained the reason of their rush. Teresa had found two syringed in her pocket and they thought that the serum they held was a cure for those who were stung. Eve and the Med-jacks smiled with hope, but Newt was more careful.

'We don't even know what this stuff is! We don't know who sent it…Or why it came up here with you' he disagreed and pointed at Teresa. 'I mean, for all we know, this thing could kill him!'

Even if Eve did not like it, she had to admit that he had a point. If the Creators were capable to send them up here and control them, who told her they would not do such a thing? Taking Alby's life only to prevent him from telling them what he had seen in the Changing.

'He's already dying. Look at him' Thomas interfered and Newt's expression almost broke when he stared at his suffering friend, their leader. Silently, Eve placed a hand on his shoulder and caressed it slightly to give him a sense of courage. His dark brown eyes met her green-brown ones and he offered her a sad smile.

'How could this possibly make it any worse?' Thomas asked him—and he had a point as well. It was a risk and the question was whether they would accept it or not. 'Come on, it's worth a try'

Alby started groaning louder and Eve realized that he didn't have much time. They should decide now: use the syringe or not. She didn't trust whoever had sent them here, but she knew that no one would deal with the guilt if Alby died, although they could help him.

'Alright' Newt seemed to think the same and gave the syringe to Thomas. 'Do it'

_Please, let it work, please!_

Thomas went and stood over Alby, ready to inject the serum, but before he threw them a last glance, as if he wanted them to assure him that he was doing the right thing.

'Okay'

Suddenly, Alby's eyes opened and the tall guy grabbed Thomas from his shirt, pulling him roughly. Everyone ran to their side, trying to free Thomas from his strong grip and hold Alby down.

'You shouldn't be here!' he roared. 'You shouldn't be here!'

'Watch out!' Newt yelled.

'Teresa!' Eve called out for her.

'Get the syringe!' Thomas ordered. 'Let go!'

Teresa stung Alby with the syringe and he immediately calmed down, his hands released Thomas and he fell back to sleep. The rest of them took deep breaths, shocked because of the sudden outburst. Eve rubbed her arms and stared once at Alby and once at Thomas; why the hell had he attacked him? Was it only because Thomas was the first one he saw and he had thought he would attack him? Or did it have to do with the Changing?

_Why did he say that Thomas shouldn't be here? What is going on here?_

'Well, that worked' Jeff stated.

'Okay, from now on, someone stays here and watches him around the clock' Newt's voice was clear and strong; he was on the verge of having an anxiety attack, but he had to keep his nerves at bay. At this moment, Gally entered, but he didn't comment anything.

'Hey. Sundown, Greenie' he said and nodded towards Thomas. 'Time to go'

After exchanging nervous looks with the others, Thomas followed him outside. Newt briefly explained that Thomas was punished for running into the maze twice, although he wasn't a Runner.

'I was tired of this, so I just decided to make it official and make him a Runner afterwards' he concluded.

'I can watch over Alby tonight' Teresa declared herself willing. 'If anything changes, I'll call you'

'I'll stay with you; I am not in the mood to sleep, anyway' Eve nodded.

'Okay, but if anything happens, don't hesitate to wake us up' Clint told them.

'In a few hours try and give him some water' Jeff advised them. 'He needs it after all this battle'

When Newt went outside, silence fell in the hut as the two girls sat down, each on one edge of Alby's bed. Eve stared at her, not knowing how to start. Teresa was much calmer now and surely Thomas had given her some information.

'Are you better?' she started.

'Yeah, much, thanks. And you? Sorry about hitting you with those stones, I had woken up without knowing anything and completely freaked out'

'That's fine, don't think about it' Eve smiled. 'So, it seems that we came here together…Only the Creators know why, though. Do you have any idea?'

'None' Teresa said sadly. 'Maybe they think we are special for some reason, I don't know…'

'Maybe we will play a major role in getting us out of here' Eve made another guess. 'Newt told me that, ever since all this started, they are trying to find a way out; and now they may have a clue. Perhaps they thought we can help or something'

'I only hope that this will be solved soon' Teresa admitted. 'I hate everyone staring at us as if we are weird or responsible for all this, since our own memories are wiped as well'

'Some of them are quite nice' Eve chuckled. 'And don't forget that it's the first time they see girls in here…Hey! That's it!' she exclaimed, deciding that a bit of fun would ease the tension.

'What is it?'

'Think about it; we are two girls surrounded by at least fifty boys!' Eve laughed. 'We are the chosen ones!'

Teresa smirked, but then she grew serious again as she looked at the other girl. She could not remember her, but this didn't mean that they shouldn't trust each other.

'We surely are the chosen ones, Eve. Although, I am not sure I want to find out what we were chosen for'

**A/N: Okayyy, guys, that was it for now! Hope you enjoyed it and I can not wait for your reviews! Happy New Year again :) xx**


	4. Midnight Mysteries

**A/N: Hello, everyone :) New chapter is up, hehe :) Eve learns more things about the Glade and is helping Teresa to find out more at the same time...and Gally is as shuckfaced as always! Hope you will like it :)**

**ShinigamiReiko- You're not weird at all, that was what gave me the idea! I don't like "Twilight", but Seth was quite nice and I had laughed at this scene.**

**Guest- Mostly, although there are gonna be some changed, both small and big. The big changes concern the "Death Cure" mostly**

**Oblivion16- Thank you so much, my friend :) I really hope you will like the update.**

**Unicornpoopp- Aww, thank you :D**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own the Maze Runner**

'So, that guy, Thomas…do you remember him?' Eve asked and Teresa stared at her as if she expected another accusation; so the brunette teenager quickly explained. 'Don't worry, I don't blame you, not at all. It's just that Newt told me you recognized him when we arrived'

'Yeah, though I have no idea why' Teresa shrugged. 'Jeff informed me that I mumbled his name in my sleep, but when I saw him after waking up my mind was blank'

'Well, maybe you two were connected before the Glade' Eve made an assumption. 'Very close friends or something like that'

'Then why can't the others recall anything? Only their name and nothing else?'

Eve stayed silent for a while, thinking about the girl's question. She had a point; the Creators had been following the same pattern for three years, sending people here after erasing their memories. Why had Teresa even this small memory that she and Thomas had some sort of connection in the past?

'Perhaps because things are changing' she said. 'I've been told some events of the past days that don't fit to this place and the rules that have been imposed. Something is at work here, everyone is sure about that. Perhaps our arrival here and you remembering even a small detail except your name is part of these changes'

'What sort of changes?' Teresa wanted to know. 'Pleasant ones?'

'Depends who you ask; Gally, for instance, isn't quite satisfied. But they could lead us out of this prison, in the real world'

'So there is a way out' the black-haired female concluded. 'And that's what has made Gally so furious, right?'

'Yeah, he thinks everything should stay as it is. I seriously wonder how he feels so comfortable here, surrounded by those damn stone walls. Anyway, the point is that the Glade is practically divided right now: to those who want to take the risk and try to escape and those who just want to stay here and continue their safe, trapped life. But I guess that this riddle will be solved sooner or later' Eve tried to sound optimistic, not wanting to confuse and worry the other girl more.

'You are right; and just sitting here and wait or sulk won't solve anything' Teresa agreed and chuckled. 'So, you've seen more of the Glade than I. How'd you find it?'

'Well, if the walls didn't exist and I had my memories, I'd say it's a beautiful place to live. They have organized their lives here, everyone has the job that fits him the best. Thomas has been appointed a Runner only today, Newt is the second-in-command-now-leader, Gally is the Keeper of the Builders, Jeff and Clint are the Med-jacks, Frypan is the cook…'

'And…Alby?' Teresa nodded towards the dark-skinned boy that lied on the bed. Alby was much calmer now, the syringe had done its work. Eve couldn't help but think about what he had seen that had made him so aggressive to attack Thomas.

'Alby was the leader and the very first Glader' Eve repeated what Newt had narrated to her when he was giving her the tour. 'One day, though, he ran in the maze that's behind those walls and got stung by the monsters it hosts. He was going through the "Changing"; that's what they call it, although I haven't understood what exactly it is'

'Whatever it is, it made him go totally crazy' Teresa commented and, using a towel, wiped the knots of sweat that had formed on Alby's forehead. 'For a second I had thought he would choke Thomas to death'

'He was a very good leader, according to Newt' Eve sighed. 'Let's hope that he will recover soon now that we gave him that syringe, although I still don't get why the Creators sent it with you. They trap us here, they create those monsters and they provide us with the cure for their poison? If they wanted us alive, then why have the Grievers, that's how these monsters are called, lurking in the maze at night and have them slaughter whoever poor Glader gets trapped in there?'

'Unless they devised them to challenge us' Teresa had another guess. 'And now they sent the syringes because we have proven a point to them or something'

'Could be; after all, I bet that they're watching us' Eve nodded with a darkened expression.

'If only we knew the reason…'

'And if we did? What then?' Eve scoffed. 'Would that ease things? It would only explain some aspects, but it would definitely not be helpful. Some of them are suffering, Teresa; suffering from this imprisonment that seems endless and without any sense'

A heavy silence fell after this declaration, that was interrupted only by the low sounds Alby was leaving. Teresa looked at Eve in a strange way, as if the younger girl's words had made her see her in a complete new way.

'It's weird, don't you think? We hardly know them, yet we still speak as if we always knew and cared about them'

'Well, whether we like it or not, we _are _Gladers now' Eve's voice was strong and determined. 'And I don't know about you, Teresa, but I will travel this path until we land to the root of everything, even if it is the last thing I'll ever do!'

'Hey, girls'

Both of them turned around startled, but relaxed immediately when they saw that it was only the two Med-jacks, who had entered the Homestead. It hadn't been much time since they had left them to watch over Alby, two hours the most; they probably were used to stay sleepless when they had someone severely injured, Eve guessed.

'You guys should sleep' Teresa seemed to have the same thoughts. 'Alby is better now and Eve and I have no problem staying with him for the night'

'She's right' Eve said eagerly.

'Ah, a Med-jack is always on his toes, no matter what' Clint replied and patted Eve on the shoulder. 'Besides, you two have had more than enough surprises for the day, time to get the rest you deserve'

'It doesn't matter, we're fine' Eve insisted. 'We can—'

'Eve!' Clint exclaimed. 'As your Med-jack, I am telling you to go and sleep this instant, am I clear? If Newt learns that our two female Greenies collapsed because of exhaustion and we didn't prevent it, he'll reward us with a sleepover together with the Grievers'

'We can not allow that, although you could use a little assistance' Teresa commented giggling. 'Come on, Eve, it seems that our job here is done'

'Alright, then' Eve sighed in defeat and stood up. 'If anything happens, just inform us'

'Okay. Chuck has already made you two hammocks, we hope you'll be comfortable' Jeff explained. 'We will see you in the morning'

'Good night, you two'

* * *

><p>The Glade was covered in silence when the girls exited the Homestead and a few lit torches here and there broke the darkness, giving a mysterious and, at the same time, a comforting aura in the place. Nothing was heard except a few snores, because almost everyone had gone to sleep. Teresa and Eve spotted the two empty hammocks Jeff had told them about and Eve shuddered unwillingly. This was her first night in the Glade and her day had been filled with surprises and various emotions; everything was still so new, that the thought of sleeping brought her discomfort. She looked around, wondering if strolling around was against the rules, when she saw a sole figure sitting in the distance, his back turned towards her, staring at the closed, heavy doors that separated them from the maze and whatever was out there.<p>

'Well, I guess that a few hours of sleep will help us' Teresa whispered to not disturb anyone.

'Actually, I'll stay up for a while longer; I feel that, even if I lie down, I'll stay awake' Eve answered and smiled. 'See you tomorrow, Teresa'

'Yeah, see you, Eve'

When Teresa made her way to the hammocks, Eve turned around and approached the boy who wasn't in the mood to close his eyes either. With a gasp, she realized that it was Newt, who hugged his knees as if cold and stared at the stone walls as if they had done something terrible to him.

_Actually, they _have _done something terrible to him, keeping him and the others here_, Eve thought as she silently sat down by his side. For a moment, she believed that the second-in-command was so lost in his own thoughts, that he hadn't acknowledged her presence, because he neither looked nor said anything to her; he just continued watching in front of him. But then his expression softened and he smiled slightly.

'Why are you not resting, Greenbean?' he wanted to know. 'It was a tough day for you'

Greenbean…that had to be another term used for newcomers, just like "Greenie". For some odd reason, Eve liked the first word; "Greenie" sounded childish and teasing, while "Greenbean" had a more tender tone. She returned the smile and followed his example, looking in front of her, yet being aware of him next to her and still able to talk comfortably. If she wanted to be honest with herself, she wouldn't mind if they stayed up until morning, talking or not.

'Not in the mood after the coma I went through' she said. She wouldn't admit this to everyone, but she had the feeling that Newt wouldn't laugh at her if she opened her heart to him. 'I still remember that suffocating darkness…the feeling that I was all alone…those voices…'

'You remember voices…and images perhaps?'

'No, not specific, I only remember a woman's voice that had confused me even more…I was digging through my mind and I only remembered my name after a lot of effort. After this, I find it difficult to sleep tonight'

'That's okay' Newt nodded with compassion. 'The first day is always hard. I kept mumbling and spinning in my sleep and I had almost fallen out of my hammock according to Alby'

Eve couldn't help but chuckle, although her chuckle was not a mocking one. She was really grateful that he understood what she was going through; when the Med-jacks had first told her about the second-in-command, she had feared that he would be an arrogant guy who would treat her as if she shouldn't be here. But it was the exact opposite: she wasn't here for long, but she had already reached the conclusion that she had found a true friend.

_Maybe_ _something good will come out of this mess!_

'Alby is much better, now you mention it' she consoled him and Newt relaxed immediately. 'He is calm and he is out of danger; Jeff and Clint are with him now'

'Then he is in good hands' Newt commented and his eyes narrowed as he shot an angry glare towards the maze. 'If only I could explain how he and the other guy, Ben, got stung in the middle of the day, I would have one bloody mystery less to worry about!'

At that moment, they heard a strange sound coming from the maze; stones grinding and a soft groan, as if doors were opening inside the huge creation. Eve folded her hands, trying to figure out what was happening and if it was another unexpected change, but Newt didn't seem surprised.

'Don't worry, that happens every single night. The maze is changing, I don't know how, but it's not the same the next day. That, of course, makes the Runners' job to map and memorize it even harder, although Minho once implied that there is a specific pattern in this changing'

'So, to see if I got it: we have a labyrinth with some monsters that started attacking people during the day, although they used to come out at night, _and _this thing is changing?' Eve gasped. 'Those Creators have a wild imagination, they do everything they can to keep you here'

'True' the blond Glader agreed. 'But that's the least. Before Thomas, who managed to come out of this shuckhole alive and rescue Alby in the process, with Minho's help, no one has ever survived a night in the maze. And believe me, there were many Gladers who were trapped in there'

'I'm sorry' Eve replied sadly and lowered her head. She couldn't even endure to imagine how it would be: both those who had realized that they would spend the night in the dangerous walls and never see their friends again and those in the Glade and the agony and sorrow they were going through. At the thought of the maze, though, another question had popped in her mind.

'Newt, can I ask you something else?'

'Of course, go ahead'

'What do you think is after the Maze? At the world away from here, the world we used to be a part of and can not reminisce'

Newt didn't speak at once and Eve regretted for being so bold. After all, this was surely something that had been bothering everyone from the moment they started coming in the Glade. But when he finally broke the silence, he didn't sound as if he accused her.

'If you had asked me when I arrived, when I was still a scared and naïve thirteen-year old, I would have said that I awaited some important people giving me my memories back and explaining why I was a part of all this and my parents greeting me with open arms' he confessed as if he wondered how he could be so stupid. 'Now, though…Now I think that more struggles are waiting for us out there'

'How so?' Eve looked at him for the first time since she joined him. 'Don't you believe that everything will be solved when we escape?'

'I believe that, even if everything is sorted out in the end, it will take a long time, because I don't think that the Creators will simply accept that we have found a way out' Newt explained and didn't tell her how much courage her words had brought him; she had said "_when _we escape", not "_if_ we escape". 'And there are many mysteries we need to solve. The existence of this place, the maze, our memory loss, all these changes, two girls in a group of guys…'

'It came as a shock, I know'

'No! _One_ girl, _that _would be a shock? But _two_? That's definitely a sign that things will change'

'Maybe it's time for things to change, Newt' Eve said determined and now he looked at her as well in a strange way: his eyes held pride, agreement, confusion and something that was very familiar with admiration. 'What? I may be here for a day, but all these things you've told me make me feel as if I've been living here for years. I honestly admire you for your endurance to this prison'

Before Newt could answer, though, another noise was heard from the direction of the maze, but it wasn't the noise of before, indicating that the changes inside were still in progress. This time it was such a bloodcurdling shriek that Eve instinctively grabbed Newt's hand in shock, for it sounded as if someone was slaughtered in there. The boy squeezed her hand comfortingly, understanding the terror she was feeling.

'What the bloody hell was that?' Eve hissed, taking deep breaths to regain her composure.

'That, my dear Eve, was one of our lovely neighbors, a Griever' he gently told her to ease her tension. 'If there's one positive thing that bloody maze does, it's that its doors close after sunset and keep those shanks in there'

Eve shuddered; she hadn't seen a Griever—_yet_, a small voice in her head commented—but her mind had already made horrible images of those creatures chasing and killing them. If the mere _noises _they were making were so creepy, how were they themselves?

'Isn't there a way to escape without having to face them?' she asked. 'Like, I don't know, climbing the walls or something'

'In those three years we've tried everything, literally everything, but without success. That object Minho and Thomas found inside a dead Griever seems to be our key for the outside world. The maze clearly has the solution of this hell, somewhere in these walls there must be a door or, at least, some bloody clues that explain how we can get out. There are so many corridors, alleys, paths, that it's impossible to believe that there's nothing'

'How do you know so many things about the maze?' Eve couldn't hold back. 'I mean, surely Minho and the other Runners keep you informed, but you know very much, although a non-runner'

Newt sighed and turned his gaze away from her, staring into the darkness again. Suddenly he was more serious and sad and Eve wondered what had caused this. Had she asked too many things? But no, Newt was patient and didn't mind her asking, so what was wrong? He was willing to tell her anything until the moment she mentioned his great knowledge about the maze, despite not belonging to the Runners.

_Wait a second…_

_Could it be?_

'You _were_ a Runner, weren't you?' she said softly.

'Just as you said it, I was. Back in my first year here. Lasted for seven months only. And believe me, you don't want to learn what happened and I stopped'

'If you don't wanna talk about it, then of course I'll respect that' the brunette girl assured him. 'Just know that, if and whenever you want to talk to someone, I am here'

_Whatever occurred that made you stop being a Runner, it surely was a really bad thing if even the memory of it make you so solemn._

* * *

><p>Eventually, Eve <em>did<em> go to sleep, only for two hours, though. She and Newt had continued talking about everything except the negative aspects; he had informed her about the various jobs and had told her some stories of the Gladers, keeping the conversation pleasant and somewhat relaxed. When she woke up and had a quick breakfast, Newt led her to the gardens and she smiled at the sight of the blossoming nature.

'Usually the newcomers experience every job before it is decided what fits them best' Zart, the Keeper, willingly explained. 'Since you, though, are clearly sent for a reason and some are afraid that the whole place will fall to pieces—which is klunk, according to me humble opinion—you are free. And since Newt here has taken your adaption personally, better to stick with someone you know'

'Thanks, Zart' Eve nodded with a wide smile before noticing the two guys exchanging worried looks. 'Anything wrong?'

'Today is Thomas's first day as an official Runner' Newt revealed. 'And we're all kinda concerned as to what he will find'

'What makes you so sure that he _will_ find something?' Gally called as he was passing next to them. Eve shot him such an angry glare that, if looks could kill, the Keeper of the Builders would be already dead.

'Because the first time Thomas went into the maze, one, he survived, two, he killed a bloody Griever' Newt hissed. 'And the second time he found the possible key to our freedom. And all this without even be a Runner'

'Not to mention that today he and Minho will search the area where this key could be from' Zart added. 'I am positive they're gonna discover something useful today'

'Hope breeds eternal misery' Gally scoffed and turned to leave, but not before throwing a warning glance towards Eve. 'Don't try anything stupid, Greenie, I am watching you'

'There still remains the question who the stupid one here is, you shucking shuckface' Eve replied as he went away. What troubled her, though, was the fact that both Newt and Zart burst into loud laughter and Newt patted her on the back. 'What? What's so funny?'

'Excellent use of Glader terms!' Newt chuckled and gave her the thumbs up. 'Well done, girl!'

**A/N: Okay, everyone, that was it for now :D Hope you enjoyed it xx**


	5. If anything can go wrong, it will

**A/N: So, so sorry for not updating earlier, those shucking college exams had drained my entire energy! But I haven't forgotten you, dear fellow-Gladers, another chapter is here! Hope you will like it and a MASSIVE thank you to those who favorite and follow :)**

**Oblivion16- Thank you once again for your review, my friend :) Hope the update will not disappoint you.**

**Krisicake- Phew, you almost gave me a heart attack with the first half of the sentence :P So glad you enjoyed it :)**

**Aurora Marie Williams- First of all, thank you so much for the patience to review each chapter and noticing all the things you're mentioning :) And your offer is really kind, but I want to try and improve myself. Thank you for the tips, though, they were really useful and I will definitely take them into account. I am also glad you like the development of the plot so far :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Maze Runner, only my OC**

Thomas was running with Minho through the maze, approaching Section 7 more and more. His heart was beating loudly due to his anxiety. Ever since Minho had stated that the Griever he had killed was probably from said section and his conclusion that they would check it today, he couldn't stop wondering if they would find anything and what it would be. He had realized by now that the maze—and the Creators by extension—protected its secrets and it would be difficult to solve them.

Difficult, yes. But not impossible.

Now that Newt had officially given him permission to be a Runner and try to discover what exactly was going on, he wouldn't back down. He owed it to him and the other Gladers—including the two girls who had suddenly joined them and had both to get used in the new environment and endure the nervousness many of the guys were feeling in their presence.

_"__Forgetting about you was the worst part"_

There it was again; Teresa's voice in his head. During his first conversation with her, he had completely forgotten to mention this odd way of communication between them, although it was another part that made them different from the others. He had other things to discuss with her at this point, but now he decided to ask her about it. On the other hand, he somehow liked that; they could talk freely, without being disturbed by anyone or giving Gally one more reason to blame them for everything; it was something only the two of them shared. At this thought, and at her words, a small smile appeared on his face and this didn't go unnoticed by Minho.

"Seriously, you are the first shank who's so happy to run into this shucking place" he commented. Thomas chuckled, continued running, but didn't reply, waiting for Teresa to continue.

_"__Tom, do you really not remember me?" _she wanted to know and her voice was very soft, unlike how she was when she woke up and freaked out.

_"__You mean…you remember _me_?" _Thomas returned the question and mentally slapped himself, for he uttered the last word squeaking, as if he wanted her answer to be positive. _"But you had said…Do you have fresh memories?"_

_"__Yes. No. Maybe. I can't explain it" _he clearly heard her sigh loudly, frustrated, trying to put her thoughts in order. _"I remember _remembering_" _she went on after a small pause. _"Feelings. Emotions. Like I have all these shelves in my head, labeled for memories and faces, but they're empty. As if everything before this is just on the other side of a white curtain, including you"_

It was as if the walls had come closer and he instinctively picked up his face to not make Minho suspicious. He felt his cheeks burning; just how many things did he and this girl, this strange and simultaneously familiar girl, have in common? Although he couldn't recall her, except those weird dreams, he had the impression he _knew_ her, he could feel the connection between them.

_"__But how do you know me?"_ he wanted to know and turned around a corner. It was really hard, speaking in his head and paying attention to the route he and his fellow-Runner were following at the same time.

_"__I don't know" _Teresa admitted. _"Something about before we came to the maze. Something about us. It's mostly empty, like I said"_

_"__You know about the maze? Who told you? You only woke up yesterday"_

_"__Eve told me the basics while we were watching over Alby last night. I told her about you and I and she made a guess, that we were very close friends. Maybe she's right; it's all very confusing right now. But I _do _know you're my friend"_

Thomas's smile became wider. He didn't mean to, but the trust and faith she showed towards him was really valuable to him. Despite the friends he had made, Teresa was something like the person he needed to lean on; someone as different as him who tried to reach the end of the thread through her hazy memories.

"What's so funny, Greenie, and you're smiling as if you've found the solution to this shucking mystery?" Minho asked mockingly, although he didn't sound angry or as if he had noticed that the other guy was distracted.

"Oh, nothing. I…I just am optimistic and full of hope" Thomas answered.

_"__Honestly now, Tom?" _Teresa's voice was heard in his mind again.

_"__Yep. Oh, and I like how you call me Tom" _he confessed and he was sincere. This nickname sounded tender and made the assumption that the two of them had some sort of relationship in the past even stronger.

_"__That's your _name_, isn't it?" _the girl laughed and, if she was there, she would surely roll her eyes.

_"__Yeah, but everyone calls me Thomas. Tom makes me feel…like I'm at home or something. Even though I don't know what home _is_" _Thomas smiled sadly. _"Are we messed up or what?"_

_"__Yeah, we're messed up. And I'm scared"_

_"__So am I, trust me"_

The understatement of the day, but Thomas preferred to keep this to himself. After all, after her gentle words and her explanations, telling her about the exact rate of his fear would be cruel and wouldn't help in anything.

_"__How do you talk inside my mind?" _he changed the subject to something he really wanted to know.

_"__No idea—I can just do it" _she said. _"You didn't tell anyone, did you? They'd think we're crazy"_

_"__Or they would think I'm just stressed out or something" _he shrugged. _"We need to figure things out. That weird note you had about you and Eve being the last persons to ever come here, the fact you can talk to me telepathically. Any ideas?"_

_"__Save your breath and quit asking" _Teresa replied intently. _"All I have are faint impressions—that you and I—and Eve, although she can't talk in our heads—were important, that we were _used _somehow. That we're smart. That we came here for a reason. I know I triggered the Ending, whatever that means" _she groaned in frustration. _"My memories are as useless as yours"_

Before Thomas could reply, he saw that Minho had stopped and he followed suit, breaking off his conversation with her. It was quite pleasant, he had to admit, but a look around reminded him where he was and why he had come here exactly.

"Welcome to Section 7, Greenie" Minho commented with a smug smile in an attempt to hide his own uneasiness.

* * *

><p>"Eve, can you pass me the fertilizer, please?" Zart asked.<p>

"Of course!" Eve replied willingly and handed him the needed basket with a wide smile. The sun and the work had given her pale cheeks a light pink color and she seemed much healthier now. She was a quick learner; only some useful tips by Newt and the Keeper and she could already do what they did.

_Perhaps my home before all this had a garden and I liked to look after it_, she thought, but pushed it away. Working was helping her keeping all disturbing assumptions at bay and that was exactly what she needed at the moment. Nothing on her gave the impression that she was here only for a day, that her arrival had triggered positive and negative reactions and that she hadn't slept much; she joked with the two guys and it was as if she lived here forever.

"Today you seem much better" Newt commented, as if he had read her mind, and gave her a happy smile. "That's the spirit"

"Yeah, well, if I just sat and cursed my bad luck for coming here it wouldn't be useful, right?" Eve laughed. "Besides, trapped or not, it is really beautiful here; maybe I'll explore the place in the afternoon"

"I'm sure you'll like the woods. It's a really secluded area and you can have some moment of peace there" Zart told her.

"Oh, yeah, because in the main area you have anything but peace with all those shanks" Newt chuckled and smiled when he saw Eve laughing again. After going through a coma, her memory loss and the attempts to get used in everything, laughing was a pleasant change and it would do her good. Because he knew that sooner or later, they would face something confusing or negative again—it seemed to be the Creators' new policy.

Another laughter, although in the distance, could be heard clearly and, after checking, they saw Chuck giggling and Frypan patting him on the shoulder, smirking. Eve's face was marked by a tender smile; she liked Chuck and his childish innocence. He wasn't stupid, he knew exactly how serious this whole situation was, and yet he was always happy and trying to transfer this mood to all the others. And it worked on most: sad or not, there were very few who could actually stay solemn when the young Glader was around.

"That's good old Chuckie trying to bribe Frypan for some extra slice of bacon, I guess" Zart said as he cut some tomatoes. "How Frypan loses his "I-will-kill-any-shank-who-will-demand-extra-food" attitude with the little one is beyond me"

"It doesn't seem very difficult" Eve responded, throwing her hair on her left shoulder to rub the sweat on the back of her neck. "I may not know Chuck very well, but it is as if nothing can be denied to him"

"That's not a surprise; he's the baby, after all, and many of us arrived here as kids, so we know how it feels like" Newt agreed. "You'll hear many Gladers complaining that he never takes anything seriously and he is getting on everyone's nerves with his constant jokes and pranks, but deep down, all consider him a little brother"

"Who knows? Maybe he _was_ in the past" the words slipped from Eve's lips before she realized it and it made the other two look surprised at her, so she quickly went on. "I mean, from the moment the Creators took our memories away, we can't be sure for anything. Perhaps some of us here are siblings or related in general…or were good friends before all this started"

Neither Newt nor Zart replied and the silence became almost suffocating. Eve felt slightly uncomfortable and guilty; surely she had uttered a great load of rubbish! It was a possibility, but a really far-fetched one, and, from the moment they couldn't remember a thing, it had no sense to make speculations about it either.

"Sorry, just forget that I spoke, I'll never mention—"

"No, don't apologize, it's not that you said something wrong" the second-in-command quickly spoke. "And it _is _a scenario, after all. It's just that no one has actually described it so far"

"Oh, I am honored to be the first one" Eve scoffed, still wondering why the shuck she had spoken before thinking, but her reaction drew a gentle chuckle from the guys.

"Don't feel bad about it; in these three years, you've no idea what crazy scenarios we've made, anything you can imagine" Zart consoled her. "Someone should really write a book about us"

"Maybe that's why the Creators sent us up here; to see how we'll manage to survive and write some weird book about us" Newt shrugged and returned to the vines he was cutting. "With those slintheads, it wouldn't be a surprise for me"

"Anyway, it was a nice break, but I'll go to Fry to give him the tomatoes so he can use them for whatever purpose he wants them" Zart informed them and stood up, basket in his hands. "I only hope we won't get poisoned"

"Hey, Frypan is actually a very decent cook" Eve replied and, truly, the soup the cook had prepared for her when she had gotten up from her coma was both very tasty and had worked wonders on her lost energy.

"You should smile and laugh more often" Newt told her when the Keeper left. "A frown doesn't suit you"

"I am not making any promises, but I'll give it a try. But, honestly now, the sun, the cheerful atmosphere, working...All this helped"

"Exactly! As I said to Thomas when he came here, you get lazy, you get sad. Start giving up. Plain and simple" Newt explained. "You focus in other things when you work"

"And you spend quality time with people who are in the same situation as you and, therefore, allies and friends" Eve added gently, to which Newt responded with a smile of gratitude and appreciation.

"Hey, you two!" Chuck's happy greeting startled them; the short boy had approached them and they hadn't even realized it. "Sorry to interrupt your cozy little chit-chat here, but I'm so bored right now"

"That's okay, Chuck, it's no problem" Eve assured him while Newt laughed. "So, is everything alright in your part?"

"Yep; and yourself? Have you made yourself at home? What about Teresa?"

"I have started to. And now you mentioned Teresa, I was wondering if I could take a break to go to the Homestead and check on her" Eve turned towards Newt. "Many things are still new for us and I want to see how she's copying"

"Sure, no problem. We'll have lunch in a few minutes anyway" Newt answered. "Go ahead; and take Chuck with you, will you? I don't want to endanger our plants"

"Hey!" Chuck exclaimed, pretending to sound insulted, but his wide smirk betrayed him.

"Just kidding, little one. You _can_ go with Eve, though, if you want"

"Of course I will go; after all, you are the one who is constantly with her and talking to her" Chuck winked at the older boy, who rolled his dark brown eyes. Eve giggled loudly and covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Ha-ha, I can barely breathe from laughing" Newt scoffed before speaking to the brunette female again. "Eve, when you are finished, can you and Teresa come here? There's something I want to show to you two"

"Sure. I'll see you later, then"

The young girl left, with Chuck right on her toes. Many of the Gladers greeted them happily on their way to the wooden hut. Eve responded with a polite nod and a smile, while Chuck was joking and teasing those who could tolerate his funny comments without feeling the urge to smack him. Some of the boys were chilling by the lake, whose calm water sparkled in the midday sunlight and gave a more peaceful impression to the scenery all around. Eve imagined how nice it would be to relax there, dive her feet into the water to cool them and talking with Newt, Chuck or Teresa—she felt more comfortable when she was with those three; she opened up more thanks to them. Lost as she was in her thoughts, she didn't notice that they were very close to the shores…until a great amount of water splashed right into her face.

"HA! Another marvelous performance by Chuck the Great in water-throwing!" the boy in question cheered.

"Oh, really?" Eve smirked mischievously as she tried to dry her hair and started chasing Chuck all the remaining way to the Homestead. Chuck laughed loudly as he ran as fast as he could and the two teenagers burst through the door, making Jeff drop and break a cup, Clint swear and Teresa leave a scared yelp.

"HEY! This is a place for people to _recover_, not for shanks who make more noise than five Grievers combined!" Clint yelled and helped Jeff to clean the shards of glass. "What the hell do you think you are doing and why are you all wet, Eve?"

"Sorry about the noise; _someone_ thought it would be funny to throw water at me" Eve glared at Chuck, who wore an "I-am-innocent-and-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about" expression. "Anyway, I just wanted to see how you are, Teresa. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm much better than yesterday" the black-haired girl replied with a smile. "And yourself?"

"Same here; only the first day seems to be particularly difficult. How…How is Alby?"

"He'll live. For whatever reason this syringe came here, it did its job. The danger is gone and it's a matter of time before he wakes up" Jeff informed her.

"That's good" the brunette sighed with relief. "Boys, would you mind if I borrowed Teresa for some time? Newt wants something to show to us"

"No problem, go ahead, Teresa"

"Thanks, guys" she smiled and followed Eve and Chuck outside—Eve still wet, something that didn't remain unnoticed by the blond second-in-command, who bit his lips in order to prevent himself from chuckling.

"What happened to you? Did you decide to take a bath?" he wanted to know as he handed her a towel, which she accepted with a glance of gratitude.

"Not exactly; Chuck here decided that the best way to make time pass is splash me with water" she explained and ruffled the little boy's curly hair, something that made him laugh. Newt finally lost it and startled laughing as well, while Teresa hid her mouth behind the back of her hand to cover her giggles. Eve wasn't insulted; on the contrary, she joined the cheerful laughter. After the confusion of the last day, it was a pleasant change to laugh with people she considered friends.

"Ah, don't worry, Chuck, I don't keep grudges" Eve made clear as she dried her hair and face. "Besides, it's such a hot day that a bit of cool water doesn't harm"

"Finally someone who appreciates this!" Chuck exclaimed and threw his hands triumphantly in the air, as if he had found his right in this unfair place.

"Anyway, you said you wanted to show something to me and Eve, Newt" Teresa reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, man; I'm really curious now" Eve commented and, judging from Chuck's wide grin, the twelve-year old already knew what this was about.

"That's right; after me, ladies" Newt gestured to the girls to follow him and he walked away from the gardens, carrying his knife with him.

"Em…Newt, how will your knife help us?" Eve hesitantly asked. "Because, if you want us to help Winston and the rest of the Slicers, I am warning you, I do not want to slaughter the poor animals"

"What? No, no, no, it has nothing to do with the Slicers, I promise. No, the reason I brought the knife with me is something else. Check this out!"

They had arrived at the open doors of the maze and Newt was pointing towards a spot on the wall, where names were carefully carved with large letters. Eve and Teresa took a closer look and noticed some familiar names: Alby's, Newt's, Chuck's, Thomas's. Shivers ran down Eve's spine as she stared awed at the various names. It seemed symbolic, reflecting the Gladers' willingness to stick together in an environment that seemed both safe and threatening. Teresa, on the other hand, gasped, having managed to connect the pieces.

"You want us to carve our own names, don't you?"

"You do?" Eve's green-brown eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course. Girls or not, from the moment you arrived here you are official members of this bloody society" Newt nodded with a serious and somehow formal expression. "You _are _Gladers, whether some shanks agree with this or not. Which means that we have to help you feel welcome and accepted here, so, feel free. The wall is yours"

Eve was the first who took the knife and looked at the wall for a few moments, trying to find a spot that would not only be empty, but also close to the name of someone she knew and trusted. Finally, she decided to place her name next to Thomas's and Teresa carved her own name right next to hers. When they finished, they had a strange feeling; as if they were assigned for a special mission.

_A mission to solve everything and help the others escape._

"Thanks, Newt" Eve whispered and she didn't know what she was thanking him for. For being next to them, for treating them as human beings and not as abominations, for doing anything to help them adjust in the new circumstances...

"Don't mention it, Eve. Now, I have to return to the garden, but you can stay here, take a walk…do whatever you want" Newt told them. "Frypan will call us for lunch in a couple of minutes"

"Okay, Newt"

"So…the Runners are still in there, right?" Teresa asked when the boy left, staring nervously at the doors. Despite being outside and somewhat safe, both of them couldn't ignore the overwhelming side of the walls and the corridor that led who knows where. The idea that Thomas and Minho were investigating the huge building right now, as well as the thought of the Griever (Eve could still remember that horrible shriek of last night) was giving them a bad feeling.

"Yeah; they will return at sunset, that's when the doors close for the night" the brunette informed her, trying to keep her voice calm, because she could see that Teresa was obviously afraid. And she couldn't blame her; she had realized that Teresa and Thomas shared a special connection that had its roots in the past none could recall; memory loss or not, that bond had come to surface when the two of them had met. It was natural for Teresa to be worried about his safety.

"I am sure they will be okay, Teresa" she made an attempt to comfort her. "Minho is the Keeper of the Runners, meaning that he knows the dangers of the maze and can take care of himself. And Thomas seems very capable and brave, so he'll be alright"

"Yeah" Teresa nodded, although she wasn't fully convinced. The next second, though, she smiled and turned towards her. "Come on, let's join the others and go eat. Sitting here won't make time pass quicker"

* * *

><p>Evening came soon, much sooner than Eve had estimated. After eating an appetizing meal made by Frypan and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere during lunch, most of the Gladers were awaiting the arrival of the two Runners. All of them were standing in front of the gates, except Teresa, who was looking after Alby in the Homestead according to Newt's order that someone should constantly watch over him. There was a loud rumbling coming from the maze, like concrete hitting concrete, and that was scaring them even more as they made assumptions about what could be happening. The sight of Minho and Thomas walking to them, bathed in sweat, breathing heavily, but alright, put an end to their agony.<p>

"What the hell's going on out there?" was the first thing Newt asked them, as their appearance was definitely telling them that something serious had occurred.

"What the hell have you done now, Thomas?" Gally asked next and Eve sighed in frustration, rolling her eyes.

"If you stop accusing him, then he will be able to tell us" she snapped at him.

"Shut it, both of you! We have other matters to think about than our personal arguments" Thomas interfered before the Builder could reply. "We found something, a new passage. We think it could be a way out"

They exchanged shocked looks, some gasped in disbelief and others smirked widely. Eve kept staring at the two boys, waiting impatiently for more explanations. Three years after all this started, only one day after she came here…and that was it? Had they reached the end, the exit from this trap or prison or whatever this place was?

"Really?" Newt smiled slightly and his voice held all the hope he was feeling at the moment; the hope of finally escaping, but also a hope he didn't dare to trust, out of fear that it would be crashed again.

"It's true" Minho confirmed what Thomas had said. "We opened a door, something I'd never seen before. I think it must be where the Grievers go during the day"

Eve ran a few steps, so she could walk right next to Minho, eyebrows narrowed. Of course, she should have guessed that things wouldn't be so easy. A possible way out, but with all the Grievers lurking at the corners.

_Great! Just great!_

"Wait, whoa, whoa. You're saying you found the Grievers' home?" Chuck, apparently, had the same thought. "And you want us to go in?"

"Yeah, because we will only go in if we want to be eaten; unless you have some trick to fool the Grievers so that they allow us free passage" Eve added and a cold shudder ran down her spine at the idea that they would confront a pack of those creatures.

"Their way in could be our way out, guys" Thomas said calmly, trying to convince them that it was the only solution.

"Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side!" Gally objected loudly and angrily. "The truth is, Thomas doesn't know what he has done, as usual!"

Eve stopped walking as Thomas turned around to face him. On the one hand, she had to admit that Gally had a point—not about Thomas not knowing what he was doing, because that was a load of rubbish, but about the permanent danger that was waiting for them. On the other hand, though, she reminisced her conversation with Newt last night, about what they would confront at the other side and the conclusion that they _had_ to go out of here. She locked eyes with him and she could see the hope and the despair that was hiding in his eyes and she reminded herself, for one more time, that Newt was here since the very beginning. It was the first time he truly had something to rely on and she had no doubt that he would rather face all dangers in order to reach the exit than staying here.

_It might be worth the risk…Actually, scratch that, it _is _worth the risk!_

"Yeah, at least I did _something_, Gally!" Thomas's furious voice brought her back to reality. "I mean, what have _you_ done? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time?"

"Let me tell you something, Greenie. You've been here three days, alright? I've been here three years!"

"Exactly!" Eve supported Thomas. "And you want to stay here? Don't you want to see what's out there? To decide for yourself and not have those bloody Creators deciding for you?"

"Not to mention that you've been here three years and you're still here, Gally!" Thomas added. "What does that tell you? Maybe you should start doing things a little differently!"

"Maybe you should be in charge, what about that?"

"Hey!" Teresa's voice joined the quarrel and they fell silent as everyone looked at her. "It's Alby! He's awake"

* * *

><p>Having forgotten their disagreement, Thomas, Gally and Eve, together with Minho, Frypan and Newt, went with Teresa to the Homestead. Alby was sitting on the edge of his bed, exhausted and, Eve would say, haunted by something. She remembered what they had told her about the Changing; it drove you crazy and brought up memories from your past life; memories that, according to how upset Alby was, weren't very happy.<p>

"Has he said anything" Minho wanted to know.

"No"

"Alby…" Newt said quietly as he kneeled next to him and the others stood around his bed, not knowing how to approach him best. "Alby, are you alright?"

He didn't answer, as if he hadn't heard him or as if the answer was too painful for him. Eve saw Thomas going closer to the bed and she wanted to stop him; after all, Alby had almost suffocated Thomas yesterday, for reasons still unknown to everyone. Thomas, though, smiled comfortingly towards her before following Newt's example and kneeling in front of the dark-skinned leader.

"Hey, Alby" his voice was as calm as Newt's, to not disturb the Glader in question. "Alby, we might have just found a way out of the maze. Do you hear me? We could be getting out of here"

"We can't" Alby shook his head and his voice trembled intently, his eyes filling with tears. "We can't leave"

"Of course we can, man" Eve replied, forcing a small smile. "We'll get out of here and we'll sort everything out"

"They won't let us"

"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked concerned.

"I remember"

"What do you remember?"

"You"

_What? What is it with everyone remembering Thomas_? Eve thought as she threw a warning look at Gally, telling him silently to keep his mouth shut. Right now, two things were important: Alby's health and the possibility to finally leave the Glade. Speculations and accusations could wait for later…no matter what "later" would bring to them.

"You were always their favorite, Thomas" Alby went on. "Always"

Suddenly, voices were heard from the outside and someone was yelling. They glanced briefly at the door, wondering what could be wrong and not being sure what to do: stay here with Alby or going outside to check the situation. Alby, though, hadn't finished and his words made them focus on him again.

"Why did you do this? Why did you come here?" he asked and a single tear ran down his cheek.

At that moment, the voices outside grew louder and they took their decision: Newt and Thomas stood up and all of them went outside. The boys were all running towards one direction, holding torches and speaking terrified with each other, but Eve couldn't catch a word because of everyone talking together.

"Hey, Winston, what's going on?" Thomas addressed the Keeper of the Slicers, who had just come next to them.

"It's the doors. They aren't closing"

And right then did Eve realize that the word "shucked" didn't even start to describe the situation. Because she wasn't so naïve to think that the open doors were the only problem.

_Brace yourselves; it seems we will have visitors!_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, everyone, that was it for now! Hope you liked it and I can not wait for your reviews :) The next chapter will be up ASAP  
><strong>


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